Abstract [en]

An internally developed web-based course (Diabas) at the County Administration of Sweden was analysed. The course focussed on dealing with official records in the organisation. The evaluation model MOA-L was used as a theoretical frame of reference and the use of the model was process-oriented. The current work situation was studied before the course. A questionnaire was distributed to the first hundred learners after they had passed the course. A phone interview was then made a month after they had passed the course. The main focus of the evaluation was the usefulness of the course, for the learners’ ordinary work. The respondents were more positive to the usefulness of the course when they answered the questionnaire compared with the phone interviews a month later. They also thought it was easier to get time for the course, when they answered the questionnaire, compared with answers from phone interviews. Probable reasons for this discrepancy are discussed. Some conclusions of the study are that traditional ways of carrying out course evaluations immediately after a course has been passed may not be relevant for evaluation of internal courses at work. The study shows the risk of more positive judgements of the course when the evaluation was made immediately after the course had been passed. Instead a process-oriented evaluation is recommended, evaluating both the work situation before the course, the comprehension of the course immediately after the course has been passed, and also evaluation about a month after the course has been passed in order to examine the relevance of the course for the learners ordinary work. Other important aspects that could affect attitudes towards the course are whether the participation in the course is voluntary or cogent, and whether the contents of the course is properly adjusted to the pre-knowledge level of the student.